Electrical signal propagation within and between tomato plants

Abstract

According to literature, electrostimulation of plants can induce plant movement, activation of ion channels, ion transport, gene expression, enzymatic system activation, electrical signaling, plant-cell damage, enhanced wound healing, and can also influence plant growth. Many plants can communicate above ground and underground between adjacent plants. Electrostimulation by square pulses induces passive electrotonic potentials propagating within and between tomato plants. The amplitude and sign of electrotonic potentials, in both the electrostimulated and neighboring tomato plants depends on the amplitude, rise and fall of the applied voltage. Electrostimulation by the pulse train, sinusoidal and triangular saw-shape voltage profile shows the existence of electrical differentiators and refractory periods in cell-to-cell electrical coupling in tomato plants. Electrical networks within one tomato plant can communicate underground with electrical circuits in another tomato plant. Here, we present the mathematical model of electrotonic potentials transmission between tomato plants which is supported by the experimental data. The information gained from this mathematical model and analytical study can be used not only to elucidate the effects of electrostimulation on higher plants, but also to observe and predict the intercellular and intracellular communication in the form of electrical signals within the electrical networks within and between tomato plants.